Babies Born August 2007 #6

[alioops]

nounfortunately we didn't gett he house, looking at another on saturday morning. MIL will take the girls for the day while we move.

[Mollygirl]

ALI - sorry to hear about the house, fingers crossed for the one on Saturday.

Campari - nice to see you are back! I feel exactly the way you do about the night feeds! I am in the same boat, feeding at 8pm, 11pm, 3am currently, no matter what is eaten or bf during the day it seems. Poor DH on Tuesday night, I went out for dinner with Mother's group and fed her at 6pm, left at 6.30pm, then she woke at 8pm, screamed for 45 minutes and then sat up with DH until I got home at 10pm, had a bf and went straight to sleep. I am going to Matchbox 20 concert next Thursday and he is preparing for the screaming again. He can't seem to settle her and I can't settle her without a bf.

I spoke to the Nurse about it on Wednesday, and she said that she must be having lots of little drinks during the day and night, (feeding 6-7 times in 24hrs) but probably only equates to 3-4 full feeds. I am finding that DD best feeds are during the night. during the day she has so much to do, not much time for a long feed before she is distracted.

My main concern is that I go back to work on May 1, and whilst yesterday I managed to get DD to only bf on waking, a little at lunch and before bed (I need my body to get used to only a few feeds whilst I am at work all day 3 days pw) so she ate alot during the day, she really had big feeds during the night still and I am going to be so tired going back to work!!!

Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions. This coincided with Ella getting her first tooth, FINALLY! So I don't know if it will settle down, but my gf in BNE is having the same with her DS who is only 5 days younger than Ella.

To be honest, my DS didn't sleep during the night until he weaned himself at 10mths and went onto a cup of formula before bed - if you want to try that don't be hard on yourself because it may be the best thing for you and your DD. My DH said as he left for work this morning that I should try and get Ella to drink formula in a cup more so he can feed her. I'm a bit lazy but also I like bf and don't want it to stop altogether, so am willing to keep going at least until I go back to work.

I think you would have to be consistent and not give in to bf (before bed) for at least 3 days to see if it would work which could involve a lot of crying. But if you have got to that point and a prepared to do that, then go for it.

I think that you could try EBM, at least you would know how much she was getting, and if that didn't work, go for formula in the cup/bottle, that is if you have the energy for expressing. I think formula fills them up a bit more.

Sorry for the long post - goodluck and let me know what you decide/try. Having read this, I think I will talk to DH about him giving Ella cup of formula if she wakes during the night, over the Anzac Day long weekend and see how that goes. Then he won't be too tired for work the next day.

[Campari]

Thanks for your huge reply Mollygirl! I think Ella and Milla are reading the same "how to annoy my parents the most" book ! Our nights sound very similar indeedy.

I ended up buying sachets of formula to try before bed. I will try to express some for future top-ups, as you said, that way I know how much she is drinking, but am a bit too exhausted to express ATM. I want to continue BF as long as possible (til she is at least 18 months or so, ideally)... but wont beat myself up about a little formula now that she has been exclusively BF for all this time. Am thinking maybe my supply has dropped a little.. will have to work on that as well with some fenugreek etc. Anyway. She refused a bottle, which is to be expected since she hasn't been offered one for a few months. Tried the sippy cup, but she refused that as well (despite loving it during the day when all it has in it is water!) So, she survived on just boobies again, and it wasnt TOO bad. I dreamfed her at 10, then she slept til 2.20, and needed a feed, then til 5:00, and I just bring her in to our bed then, and she fed again. With the leftover formula I just added it to her breakfast this morning.... Its awful, cause I hate the thought that she is hungry, but like Ella, Milla rarely has a good feed during the day. I am sure she would have self-weaned already if I hadn't been so persistent in trying to feed her - like going to a dark, quiet room, bouncing her on the swiss ball while feeding her, and singing! If I were to let her solely demand feed, I think she would just feed at night, and maybe once at midday or so.

I weighed her yesterday too, and she has only put on 100g in four weeks, so she is 7.55kg. I know its normal for them to slow down a bit, but I dont want her to get too skinny! She's loving all her solids, so I guess I will just have to fatten her up that way... But its catch 22, cause the more solids they get, the less BM they want, and then she'll want her BM quota at night!

It must be hard for you to be worrying about going back to work in May already I have to go back part-time in August, and already am wondering what to do re. feeds. I have to get in to expressing, I just really suck at it (pardon the pun!)....

When your DS weaned himself at 10 months, did you give him formula in a sippy cup all through the day, or just at bedtime? Did he just keep refusing the boob, or did he cut back gradually? I can see Milla self weaning off day feeds, but still wanting night feeds... crazy little nocturnal monkey that she is.

well, she is asleep at the moment, and so is DH.... I might make me a cup of tea and sit outside on the deck and relax a bit... then get stuck in to some cleaning ... urghhh. Got visitors this arvo.

Hello to everyone else, and hope you are all getting more sleep than me and Mollygirl!!

Rhi x

[kungfubecca]

Hi all just dropping in to say hi,

Don't seem to have much time on my hands latley.

Hope all are well,

Bye

[Mollygirl]

Everyone - how many sleeps are your babies having now? I have noticed Ella is doing: gets up 6am, bed 7.30am-9am, bed 12noon - 2pm and bedtime 6pm. Any suggestions on getting her to stay up later????


Rhi - you are right, they are both reading the same book. Ella loves water in the sippy cup but turns her nose up at formula. I told DH he should be the one to try that more.

Sorry to everyone else not interested in BF information.

Because I am going back to work, I actually don't mind that Ella is feeding more at night now, I have been giving her more solids during the day and she is just have a little suck at lunchtime, so that my body isn't used to feeding much during the day and now she is having her 3-4 a day with 2 -3 bf at night. Some nights it is not too bad, when I go back to sleep straight away (sometimes I lay awake for 2 hours) but DH is worried how I will cope being at work and being tired. We'll have to wait and see. Given that I will be tired I may not have much milk and she might wean, unfortunately. Ella is putting on about 500g in 6 weeks, so not much either but then she spends all day crawling and standing and is way too busy to bf. The nurse wasn't worried.

To answer your questions:
When your DS weaned himself at 10 months, did you give him formula in a sippy cup all through the day, or just at bedtime? Did he just keep refusing the boob, or did he cut back gradually?

I had been back at work 5-6 hours a day (just missing one feed) for 3-4 months when he weaned and my days had been getting longer and he had been drinking formula from a sippy cup a little during the day (they don't drink as much as bf) and on the day he weaned it was a sudden thing. He fed at 4pm when I got home from work then at 6pm he wouldn't feed again (or anytime after) and kept crying and wouldn't have a bf. Eventually I worked out he was hungry so gave him ff in a cup and he slept through the night from then on! So it was a sudden thing and I got mastitis even though I expressed. I got AF for the first time at the same time so I thought the taste might have changed or something???

You are doing a great job, and have given her a great start and even though it is sad when they wean, it also brings a sense of freedom (for me anyway). I am still hoping to get to 12months but will take each day as it comes.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

[sconeonamission]

Hey all!!

Using the loo - despite where I am, I use the parents room toilets, if I have Jensen with me. It's a tad difficult when you have no pram, but for now, it's all we can do ! TMI - Andrew has started showing him how men use the toilet. We are sorta trying toilet training, but it's a bit difficult coz he's young. We have had success in waiting 5-10 mins after an arvo nap, onto the potty and voila! But the looks and comments I get from saying that we've started.... it's too much for me to deal with so it only seems to be at home and at nana's that we do this. Today he stood up holding onto the couch, looked at DH grabbed his nappy, looked around, concentrated, looked back at DH and then went about his day... Turns out he wet himself. I think he might sorta know whats going on...?

Very relieved with Jensens weight. The health nurse seems to think that its not the food that puts on his weight, the calories in the milk is.

I never thought about having to keep older siblings away from the younger ones if you leave the room, but I guess this becomes instinctive. I wouldn't let Hayden near newborns without me close enough to stop him pulling their hair or crawling over them.

- newborns?? I can't stop Jensen from trying to crawl OVER the other babies the same age at mothers group...

Work.... grr, not a good topic atm. I'm nervous about going in, and especially tomorrow (monday) as I called my boss on Friday to see if he'd be in so I could have a chat to him and he said yes coz he wants to have chat with me.... Not sure if it's good news or bad news. So, for now, I still work 2 days a wk, Monday and Wednesday 730-230. Fingers crossed for me tomorrow that things work out for the best....

BF at night Rhi - Jensen is the same... I can pretty much time the first wake up to the minute. 1130pm. It used to be only 2 feeds a night, but it's back up to 3. I've been told to offer water instead of a bf, but he wont take it during the day, let alone at night. I have given a ff at night when my milk was dwindling in the afternoon. IT seemed to help when I bought some blessed thistle tabs and took them. Havent' had to ff at night for awhile now. Formula should fill Milla up. pff... well I say that, but regardless of bf or ff, he still woke the same. Hopefully, its not the case for you. I find that Jensen wont take a bottle from me, but plonk him with anyone else with the same bottle... hey presto!

I am so over Jensen waking 3times a night. Sometimes it's just for a cuddle, but others its a full feed. Been thinking about a referal to a sleep centre coz it's crazy... Even if it's just down to once a night, that would be a god-send.

Congrats on the tooth Molly!

Hows things going Becca?

Jensen seems to be showing the teething signs (not that there were any last time) again. He has been really clingy and doesn't let me out of his sight. With all the free clothes that we got from a friends kids, finally all washed, I now have to fold them and put them away, but omg there's no time coz busy body is just that... busy... Left him with DH, in the lounge room - I was up the hallway, yesterday. But DH got (and this sounds worse than it is) trashed by 9am. Jensen just played on his own, but who knows what could have happened if I wasn't there.

Hope things work out with this other place Ali...

Sorry this was long, just had to pop in before hanging out the washing and putting a stereo on DH's car.

All the best,
Ren and Jensen

[Mollygirl]

Scone - keep going with the TT - don't worry about others. If you can do it early, why not? My MIL tells me my DH was toilet trained by 1! Just try and tune them out.
Goodluck with work, I cannot imagine how hard it has been going back before now, so well done to you!

Kim - fingers crossed for you. I'm sorry I don't know about what you are going through, just wish you all the best.
Thanks for the advice on why they are waking. I think Ella does wake up more if I leave the house at some point, whether day or night and I am not there when she wakes up. She's not too clingy, but seems to want to know I am around.

I think another tooth is coming (2nd bottom tooth) and she is just grumbly. It doesn't help when I find her brother has put a toy down the back of her jumpsuit this morning. That made her cry.